The present invention broadly relates to treating contaminated cotton fibers or flocks when such are being continuously processed and, more specifically pertains to a new and improved method of reducing the stickiness or tackiness of the fibers of cotton flocks contaminated with honeydew. The present invention also relates to a new and improved apparatus for reducing the stickiness or tackiness of the fibers of cotton flocks contaminated with honeydew.
Generally speaking, the present invention relates to a new and improved method of the aforementioned type and which method entails heating the cotton flocks for a brief period of time.
It is known that cotton flocks of many provenances or origins are more or less contaminated with insect secretions which contain sugar. These sugar-containing secretions are generally termed "honeydew". There is known a laboratory method by means of which such honeydew is allowed to caramelize by heating cotton flock samples or specimens in an oven with the aim of thereby producing a discoloration or change of color of the cotton, in order to determine the degree of contamination thereof with honeydew from the resulting change in the color of the cotton flocks. This is namely very important because, in the event of heavy contamination of the cotton flocks, the cotton flocks become sticky and tend to adhere to various parts of the yarn production plant or to form laps or coils at rolls or rollers or at other rotatable members. This result is very undesirable since it causes frequent interruptions of the yarn manufacturing process.
A method of the aforementioned type is disclosed in European Patent Application No. 86102352.1, published Oct. 8, 1986, under Publication No. 196,449. The object of this known method is to convert any contaminating honeydew into a non-tacky or non-adhesive and brittle state or condition by supplying heat for a short period of time, but without causing any discoloration or change of color of the cotton flocks, so that the brittle sugar or caramellized deposits can be crushed and removed in the course of the subsequent treatment.
A number of devices or apparatus for performing this prior art method have been proposed in the abovementioned European Patent Application No. 86102352.1, published under Publication No. 196,449. The object of one disclosed device or apparatus is to heat the cotton flocks already in the course of opening the raw cotton bales, i.e. directly at the start of the yarn manufacturing process. Other devices or apparatus are intended for treating fiber slivers before drafting.